c16 - Oh My God!!!
"Bastard, what kind of strange power is this?!"
White Zetsu writhed uncontrollably as he emerged from Kazue's body, his distorted face filled with agony. His cells were breaking down at an alarming rate, as if they had been thrown into chaos.
'What the hell is this Kekkei Genkai?!'
Kazue's shock quickly turned into fury. Her battle instincts kicked in as she activated her Sharingan, her crimson eyes locking onto the intruder. With a swift movement, she struck out, sending the writhing creature tumbling backward.
"Have you been parasitized? Kazue, it looks like someone has had their eyes on you for a while now." Yuuji's voice was low and serious.
Before White Zetsu could recover, Yuuji didn't hesitate. He extended his hand, and an invisible radiation field spread out, engulfing the strange creature.
The cells derived from the God Tree reacted violently to the radiation's interference. The very genetic material that made up White Zetsu began to unravel under the onslaught of nuclear disruption. The effects were immediate—the spores implanted in Kazue's body had been forcibly expelled, the chakra network disrupted, and White Zetsu's tissue started to mutate uncontrollably.
Such power had never been seen before in the world of Shinobi. It was as if this ability bypassed the normal rules of chakra and attacked the very essence of living organisms.
"Kazue, Guy kill it immediately. We can't let this thing escape." Yuuji ordered.
For the first time, the three-man team worked together seamlessly.
Guy took a deep breath, his eyes burning with determination. "I don't know what you are, but if Yuuji-san says to take you down, I will!"
"Eight Inner Gates: First Gate Open!"
With a speed that blurred the air, Guy surged forward. His taijutsu, polished by years of relentless training under Might Duy, struck with the force of a hammer. His fist connected with White Zetsu's neck.
Crack.
The grotesque creature crumpled instantly.
Yuuji narrowed his eyes, still wary. Without hesitation, he pulled out a kunai and severed White Zetsu's head, ensuring its death.
"Good. We dealt with it before the village could be alerted…"
Kazue took a deep breath, her pale face reflecting the exhaustion of battle. "What was that thing, Yuuji? It had no blood, no brain, and yet… it could invade my body."
She clenched her fists. The unease in her chest wouldn't go away.
Her Sharingan pulsed, the violent chakra disturbance igniting something within her.
A second tomoe materialized in each eye.
The power surge was overwhelming. Kazue staggered slightly, feeling her own body straining under the weight of her newfound ocular abilities.
Yuuji, observing carefully, released another controlled pulse of radiation, scanning the house. His chakra subtly extended, avoiding Izumi—who was still playing in the corner, blissfully unaware of what had just transpired.
He found nothing else lurking.
Finally, he allowed himself a breath of relief.
"This is something we can never speak of to anyone." Yuuji's voice was firm. "Not to your family, not to your clansmen, not even to Hokage-sama."
Kazue hesitated, but Guy immediately responded, his unshakable loyalty evident. "Understood, Yuuji-san! Not even my father will hear a word from me."
Kazue, still rattled, eventually nodded as well.
Yuuji turned his attention back to the corpse of White Zetsu. His mind was already racing.
Uchiha Madara…
So, the legendary Ghost of the Uchiha had set his sights on Kazue.
'This won't do. Kazue is my teammate. No one gets to mess with her except me.'
His eyes darkened.
"This thing is valuable," Yuuji finally said. "Beyond imagination."
Carefully, he wrapped up White Zetsu's corpse in a sealing cloth. He then turned to Kazue.
"Seal it in a scroll and get me some laboratory equipment. I need to study it."
Kazue nodded. "I can get some basic tools, but nothing too advanced. If we go too deep, the clan will notice."
"That's fine," Yuuji replied.
He cut off a small piece of White Zetsu's tissue and placed it into a separate container. His mind drifted to the origins of this creature a byproduct of the cells of Senju Hashirama, artificially cultivated through the will of the God Tree.
If he could understand it, he might unlock the secrets of Mokuton…
He wasn't interested in stealing Hashirama's power, but the sheer biological and chakra potential hidden within Mokuton was too valuable to ignore.
This needed to be studied.
As if nothing had happened, the three of them left Kazue's home before her parents returned.
They would pretend that none of this had ever occurred.
---
Meanwhile…
Deep within Konoha, in the shadows of the Uchiha district, a figure silently entered the village unnoticed.
Uchiha Madara.
He moved slowly, his body aged, his breath ragged—but his presence was suffocating. His aged, frail form transformed with a burst of chakra, taking on the shape of an elderly woman.
Obito's grandmother.
"Hmph. This place hasn't changed at all," he muttered, his cold eyes scanning the familiar surroundings.
Then, another figure emerged from the ground. White Zetsu.
"Madara-sama, the spores I planted on Kazue's body have been completely wiped out. I've lost all connection to them."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"Oh? That girl noticed? Impressive… What method did she use?"
"I don't know," White Zetsu admitted. "I lack a shared consciousness with my spores, so I can't tell."
"Hmph. It doesn't matter." Madara waved his hand dismissively. "Kazue was just a pawn. The real focus… is still Obito."
Obito needed to be broken.
Tonight, he would offer the boy a funeral for his only remaining family.
The transformation was seamless—Madara moved like an old, frail woman, stepping weakly along the path toward his next act of manipulation.
"Time for a little tragedy."
---
As the fake "Grandmother" shuffled toward home, a familiar voice called out.
"Ah! Grandma! You shouldn't be outside! Didn't I tell you to rest?"
Obito ran over, his usual carefree energy replaced by deep concern.
Madara—still in disguise—laughed weakly, putting on an impeccable performance.
"Haha, good child… I just wanted to buy you some fruit. I am your only family, after all… Only I care about you. I must take good care of you…"
He coughed, trembling dramatically.
Then, he stumbled.
"Grandma!" Obito panicked. His eyes turned red with unshed tears.
He rushed forward, reaching out.
Madara smirked internally. Perfect.
'Obito, this world is cruel. Let this pain push you forward…'
He prepared for the final act—to collapse dramatically, ensuring Obito felt true despair.
But suddenly—
A strong arm caught him.
"…Are you alright?"
Yuuji.
Yuuji, standing firm, holding the old woman upright.
Madara's mind froze for a split second.
"…I'm fine, child. Thank you."
"No, you're not fine. Grandma, you shouldn't be wandering outside. You'll make things difficult for me."
Madara stared at him.
'Who the hell is this brat? I should've strangled his grandfather when I had the chance.'